In this episode of Inside the Rope, David interviews Dafina Toncheva, a general partner at the US-based venture capital firm, USVP. Dafina shares her inspiring journey from growing up in Communist Bulgaria to earning a scholarship to Harvard and completing her MBA at Stanford. Now a prominent figure in venture capital, Dafina discusses USVP’s history, including its success in managing 12 funds, 11 of which have been profitable. She highlights USVP’s impressive track record, which includes 93 IPOs and over 100 M&A transactions.

Dafina explains her investment focus on early-stage companies, particularly in software, cybersecurity, and digital health. She recounts her early success at Venrock, where she led the first institutional investment in Cloudflare, now a multi-billion dollar company. Despite the initial skepticism from other investors, Dafina’s persistence paid off, making Cloudflare Venrock’s most profitable investment.

Throughout the podcast, Dafina reflects on her unique perspective shaped by her upbringing, her views on the importance of meritocracy, and her belief in free markets. She also discusses USVP’s disciplined approach to early-stage investments and their commitment to liquidity for investors.

In this episode of Inside the Rope, David speaks with Michael Rosen, co-founder and CEO of Context Capital. They discuss his journey in finance and the founding of the firm. Michael covers his career managing a mutual fund group and the decision to start Context Capital after recognising the limits of traditional mutual funds, particularly the lack of hedging options available.

Michael covers Context Capital’s investment strategy, which focuses on convertible bonds, a hybrid asset that sits between debt and equity. Michael explains how the firm manages $2.7 billion while producing an average return of over 12% per year since inception, reducing risk through strategies like shorting equities.

Michael also shares lessons from his restaurant ventures, drawing comparisons between running a restaurant and an investment firm. He highlights the importance of preparation and teamwork in both fields.

Finally Michael highlights his views on future opportunities in convertible markets and how some investors view the strategy as being able to offer equity-like returns with historically less risk.